Ritu Arya is helping to steer the ship Paris fell. After guest starring and supporting roles on everything from AMC shows Humans to Doctor Whothe English actress found her break in the spotlight as Lila in the cast of Netflix The Umbrella Academystarring in seasons 2 through 4 of the well-received comic book adaptation. Arya has also worked on several major movement projects over the past decade, notably with her supporting roles in Red Warning and Barbie.
In the TV edition of the Gerard Butler-led action film franchise, Arya stars Paris fellis cast as Zara Taylor, a new MI6 agent stationed in France. There, she teams up with protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) in an effort to stop former French Foreign Legion soldier turned terrorist Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris) in his quest for revenge against the French government.
In celebration of Paris fellpremieres on Hulu, TelaRant spoke with Arya to discuss her familiarity with the It fell franchise before leading the spinoff show's cast, his work with Jallab and Harris, starring in a Gerard Butler-produced project, and the possibilities for other It fell locations in future seasons.
Arya entered the It fell Completely Fresh Franchise
“The series will be so different from the films…”
TelaRant: Paris fell is the last installment of this great It fell franchise that began in 2013. Going into this project, how familiar were you with the films that preceded the series?
Ritu Arya: I hadn't actually watched them, so when this happened, I only had to watch bits and pieces, so I kind of understood the tone. They are so different. The show is going to be so different from the movies, so I didn't want that to influence me or anything. So yeah, not much, actually.
The series premiered on Canal+ in September
What's also interesting is that this show is coming to Hulu for American audiences, but it's already premiered on Canal+ abroad and everything. For you as an actor, when you're promoting a project like this, what's that experience like when the show has already been released for some people but is completely new to others?
Ritu Arya: I know it's really bizarre because I kind of put on my festive Christmas hat, “Okay, it's time to relax,” and then it's like, “Oh wait, we were talking about the show because it came out. It's about to be released in the US.” It's so exciting. It feels like it's already been celebrated, so it's a great feeling. Before it comes out, you're a little more excited.
Zara and Vincent's dynamic will have them testing each other's trust
Arya also teases the “Complicated“Jacob's Nature
Let's talk a little about Zara. She is such a fascinating character. I would love for you to tell our audience about Zara. Who is she? What is her role within the It fell world?
Ritu Arya: So Zara is a new MI6 agent. She joins this task force with Vincent for this high-risk operation to capture this terrorist. She is new. She has something to prove. She is in a relationship with a drug addicted woman. She's kind of balancing her personal life with work. She's also not sharing her work with her partner, so there's a lot of trust. There are a lot of blurred lines with honesty and trust issues. She is complicated and learns to work as a team with Vincent and their relationship develops. But yes, it is complicated.
Complicated is a good way to put it. I would love to go down that rabbit hole, a little bit of your dynamic opposite the character Vincent. This story is really being told through the vessel of these two characters. What is this dynamic between Zara and Vincent?
Ritu Arya: She's not too sure about him at first, like I said, trust issues, but he grows with her. They begin to work very well together and she gets to know him better. He is there for her. Yes. They end up worrying about him.
You're working with Sean Harris on this show, and I love Sean's work on projects like this because I've known him as Solomon Lane since the beginning. Mission: Impossible films. He's one of the franchise's most memorable antagonists, which is really saying something because this franchise redefined the spy genre. Working with Sean, having such a prestigious name involved in this show, what kind of vibe did he bring to the set?
Ritu Arya: Well, I think as the villain, he's such a brilliant actor, and he brought it really, again, just a complicated thing. [layer]but that depth to this character is that sometimes you side with him because you can understand why he's doing what he's doing. So I think it's such a compelling and scary character. Absolutely terrifying.
The opening scene of the first episode, I think, really sets the tone, not just for the action of the series, but who these characters are and their motives and everything. I would love to go back with you, your memories of filming that scene. Was that the first thing you filmed? I know sometimes things get out of order.
Ritu Arya: Oh my God, I can't remember. What was the first scene we shot? I think so, but we had to return to the subject at the end of filming. The setting was so grand. We were filming in Newport and I think the weather was really gloomy. It was a little unfortunate. So you go in, it was really spectacular to be inside this big room, and I remember the dancers were just mind-blowing and Oded Ruskin, who directed the first four episodes, was very specific about how it was filmed, and I loved how he wanted to really make sure that I would get subtle character moments through so much heavy action and plot. It was like a whole dance and yes, it felt really big and exciting and a challenge.
Arya has “Still to know“Butler, despite having produced the program
“Tell him I said hi.”
Speaking of production, Gerard Butler was involved as a producer on this show. I know when it comes to producers, not everyone is on set every day. Sometimes people come in and do post-production. Did you get to work with Gerry?
Ritu Arya: I didn't. I haven't met him yet. Tell him I said hi. He should have done it, and then, I don't know what, there were so many changes to the script. There was a script where we had things and then another script and we didn't. It was like, “What’s the edit going to be?” It was new for me to see the last episode of what would happen, which is exciting. It's also a little stressful because, “What's the story? How does it end?” So yes, no, unfortunately I didn't get to work with him.
Where are you going It fell Go next?
“The possibilities are endless…”
I feel like we're entering a new era, so to speak, with this franchise, the idea of telling these It fell stories in serialized television format. In the future, if we get a second season or more spin-offs, would you want to stay in France or do you think there's room to explore the rest of the globe?
Ritu Arya: Let's explore. I love variety. I want to travel the world with the show. Barcelona, Miami. Anyway, Tokyo. I mean, there are so many cities. I want to travel. I need to travel. Yes, it will be fun. The possibilities are endless.
On Paris fell
When a terrorist group led by villain Jacob Pearce attacks a high-profile embassy reception, targeting the French Minister of Defense, protection officer Vincent finds himself working with cunning MI6 agent Zara to save the day. But when events take an increasingly dark turn, Vincent and Zara soon realize that the plan goes far beyond just one politician. With the suspicion that one of their colleagues in the security services is providing information to Pearce, Vincent and Zara quickly come to trust each other more than they ever imagined. Increasingly isolated and with Pearce always one step ahead, will this unlikely duo be able to stop Paris from falling into the hands of a man bent on revenge?
Source: TelaRant Plus